TVNZ’s Social Media Virgin, Netflix’s You Don’t Know Me Between Great Shows To Stream

New shows and movies that are perfect to watch this weekend are discussed in the latest episode of the Things to watch podcast†

It’s a hearty, light-hearted listen – 10 minutes in all – designed to help you get the most out of your weekend.

You can listen by clicking on the player below – or find him where you get your podcasts from, Apple† Spotify and the rest.

Follow the show on your podcast player and you’ll be notified of new episodes. You can even download it to listen to later.

BACKSTAGE WITH KATHERINE RYAN (AMAZON PRIME VIDEO)

Jimmy Carr, Nish Kumar, Sue Perkins, Judi Love, Rosie Jones, Jo Brand, Tom Allen, Frankie Boyle, Rob Beckett, Russell Kane and Nick Mohammed are just some of the comedians who join the Canadian narrator for this six-part series that takes a look behind the scenes of the British stand-up scene.

Each episode follows four comedians, before, during and after a set at London’s Roundhouse Theater.

“You can imagine a version of Backstage where the comedians are less gilded and the edges are a bit sharper. Meanwhile, Ryan’s version is slick, a lot of fun and certainly appealing to a TV audience that, it seems, is always receptive to new angles on the life of stand-up comics.” wrote Brian Logan of The Guardian†

SECURING: STRENGTH AND GLORY (NETFLIX)

Nearly nine years after she last played her, Danish actor Sidse Babett Knudsen returns to play Birgitte Nyborg in a late, eight-part, fourth season of the much-loved Danish political drama.

Recently appointed foreign minister, Nyborg finds himself at the center of an international power struggle in the Arctic after a drilling company suddenly discovers oil in Greenland.

“This new Borgen looks like other Scandi noir dramas that have emerged since its inaugural run, but it’s in a league of its own: fresh, intelligent, and excitingly addictive,” wrote Vogue’s Taylor Antrim†

READ MORE:
† Question team: Richard Ayoade and friends ‘hilariously rewrite the panel show’
† Moon Knight: Disney+’s Dashing Adventure Shows the Wonderful Oscar Issac
† The Chase USA: More money, extra danger, but somehow not so much fun
† Bridgerton: No Duke, no problem, because Netflix’s hit romp season 2 is just as spicy

KILLS ONLY IN THE BUILDING (DISNEY+)

One of 2021’s breakout shows is back — and as addictive as ever.

The misadventures of Charles Haden-Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) continue as they try to investigate another death at their New York apartment complex – The Arconia.

As it turned out during the first run, Only murders in the building is a witty, compelling, highly entertaining triumph whose delights lie in the details and character interactions.

And, as you’d hope from a Martin script, it bursts at the seams with witty bon mots, physical comedy potential and biting asides as our disparate trio spark, spar and try to solve even more mysteries – with hilarious results. .

The addition of Amy Shumer, Cara Delevingne and a riotous Shirley MacLaine to the mix adds a fair amount of extra spice, while there are enough twists, callbacks and unexpected interconnections to keep you on your toes.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA VIRGO (TVNZ+)

After capturing the nation’s attention with his somewhat wacky investigation into the 30-year-old cold case of Who Killed Lucy the Poodle? in 2019, Kent Briggs is back with another engaging, if more than a little cracked, challenge.

In this six-part docu-series, the ‘creative’ Generation X Auckland attempts to take its online game from zero to internet hero in just a few months.

While there is a certain fascination and joy in watching Briggs ‘craft’ and sometimes just catastrophically creating his audience and followers enticing content, this is more than just a Kiwi Jackass. The fly-on-the-wall, warts-and-all style means we see his missteps and frustrations as the hours spent refining content, writing posts, and responding to every comment puts him behind schedule. to make. As Briggs himself puts it, this is a “concentrated, intense learning curve” and as much (if not, much more) a cautionary tale about seeking internet fame, as a “how to succeed at your social media game”.

The real secret sauce of The Social Media Virgin, however, comes from Briggs’ raw intimate interviews with Kiwis who have managed to reach a large online audience.

SUMMER I GOT BEAUTIFUL (AMAZON PRIME VIDEO)

An adaptation of Jenny Han’s (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) novel from 2009. This eight-part, multi-generational drama centers on the enduring power of strong female friendship and a love triangle between a girl and two brothers.

Billed as “a coming-of-age story about first love, first heartbreak and the magic of that one perfect summer,” the show features Rachel Blanchard, Tom Everett Scott and newcomer Lola Tung.

“As sweet, light and refreshing as soda on ice by the pool, this book-based drama tackles the confusion and beauty of an awkward growing up,” wrote Joyce Slayton of Common Sense Media†

THIS IS GOING TO PAIN (TVNZ+)

The BBC’s latest hospital series couldn’t be further from the gleaming visions of Grey’s Anatomy.

If you’re looking for a slick soap that masquerades as a medical drama, you’ve come to the wrong place. This is a sombre, comical, raw and disturbing look at the lives of young doctors who work in an obstetrics and gynaecology ward at a National Health Service hospital in London.

Directors Lucy Forbes and Tom Kingsley do a fantastic job of balancing the humor with the poignant, ensuring the medical scenes have a deep-seated truth, and the sometimes unrelenting drama is only leavened by the protagonists’ own gallows humor approach to to keep themselves healthy.

At the center of the show is a magnificent performance by Ben Whishaw, who once again demonstrates the unique ability to combine wonderful comedic timing with an extremely recognizable vulnerability that he has previously shown in A Very English Scandal and paddington†

WEST WORLD (NEON/SKY GO)

Oscar winner Ariana DeBose and Aurora Perrineau of Prodigal Son join the cast for the fourth season of the hit dystopian sci-fi series based on Michael Crichton’s cult 1973 film of the same name.

First episodes in over two years, the eight-part film has been described as “a dark odyssey over the fate of life on Earth” and features an amusement park modeled after a romanticized version of a 1930s mafia-controlled America. .

“Westworld may have lost a few of its IQ points over the years, but it’s still a decent shoot-em-up that gives us women to fight back and win,” wrote Melanie McFarland of Salon.com†

YOU DON’T KNOW ME (NETFLIX)

Four-part BBC crime drama based on the award-winning 2017 novel of the same name by Imran Mahmood.

Starring Samuel Adewunmi, Sophie Wild and Bukky Bakray, it centers on a young man accused of murder. But while the evidence may seem overwhelming, he tells the court an extraordinary story that could change everything.

“The conceit is different and makes you think – can someone be morally right when legally wrong? – and the performances were all so strong,” wrote The Mail on Sunday’s Deborah Ross†